Zonal device and combination thereof with a dimensional dial indicator

ABSTRACT

A zonal device and a combination of a dial indicator and the zonal device is disclosed for cooperative use on a gage or gages in differentially gaging a screw thread. The indicator has a casing with an outer cylindrical surface, a dial having dimensional graduations in thousandths or preferably in tenthousandths of an inch, and a pointer movable over the dial in response to a contactor. The zonal device is a ring means mounted on the cylindrical surface of the casing and includes or is a turnable ring with a flange extending radially inwardly adjacent to the dial graduations. This flange which is the end face of the ring carries at least one of a plurality of zones of fixed circumferential dimension and radially corresponding with a desired dimension of the dial graduations. The fixed zones on the ring may be provided in any one of three ways.

United States Patent Johnson [54] ZONAL DEVICE AND COMBINATION THEREOFWITH A DIMENSIONAL DIAL INDICATOR [72] Inventor: Stanley G. Johnson, W.Hartford, Conn.

[73] Assignee: The Johnson Gage Company, Bloomfield,

Conn.

[22] Filed: July 17,1970

[2]] Appl.No.: 55,896

[52] U.S. Cl. ..ll6/l29, 33/172 R, 58/126,

73/431,116/115 [51] Int. Cl ..G09f 9/00 [58] Field ofSearch ..33/l47,148,166, 172, 199,

33/224; 73/431; 116/129, 129 A, 129 B, 129 T, 115.5, 115, 133, 124;58/126, 126 B, 152

[15] 3,654,892 [451 Apr. 11, 1972 Primary Examiner-Louis J. CapoziAttorney-John M. Montstream [57] ABSTRACT A zonal device and acombination of a dial indicator and the zonal device is disclosed forcooperative use on a gage or gages in differentially gaging a screwthread. The indicator has a casing with an outer cylindrical surface, adial having dimensional graduations in thousandths or preferably in tenthousandths of an inch, and a pointer movable over the dial in responseto a contactor. The zonal device is a ring means mounted on thecylindrical surface of the casing and includes or is a turnable ringwith a flange extending radially inwardly adjacent to the dialgraduations. This flange which is the end face of the ring carries atleast one of a plurality of zones of fixed circumferential dimension andradially corresponding with a desired dimension of the dial graduations.The fixed zones on the ring may be provided in any one of three ways.

13 Claims, 6 Drawing Figures PATENTEBAPR 1 1 me I N VEN OR.

HTTORNEY ZONAL DEVICE AND COMBINATION THEREOF WITH A DIMENSIONAL DIALINDICATOR The indicator and zonal device combination is an improvementof the combination of US. Pat. No. 3,353,277. This patent shows a pairof adjacent gage units, one with a tri-roll gaging means and the otherwith a segmental form of gaging means, although the former may have asecond tri-roll gaging means on the opposite side of the gage arms andthe latter may similarly have a second segmental type of gaging means onthe opposite side of its gage arms. An indicator and a differentialzonal device is provided for each gage unit with the two zonal devicespreferably inter-connected. If a more detailed test of a screw threadshould be desired another adjacent gage unit may-be used. Thecombination herein is suitable also for use with the gage ofFlG. 4 ofthe above mentioned patent which has two gaging means on each'side ofthe gage an'ns or four gagesEach gaging means will be of a differentform such as a difference in length or will have a different profile forthe gagingridges on the gaging elements making up one gage and the formdepends on theparticular thread characteristic which is to be tested ordifferentially gaged. The number of gages in one setup will bedetermined by the'number of thread characteristics whichare to betested. Two gages will provide considerable information of a test threadand ordinarily four gages will-provide an ample differential test of ascrew thread.

It is an object of the invention to construct a combination of adimensional indicator and a zonal device of ring form which can bemounted on the indicator casing merely by slipping it axially thereonand without any change inthe construction of the casingof a commercialindicator and turnably mounted thereon for use with a plurality of screwthread gages and provides a plurality of zonal dimensions independentlyon the ring.

A further object is as above and in addition the device avoids orminimizes the possibility of an erroneous setting being selected orinadvertently being changed.

Again with the form of construction having a plurality ofindividualzonal scales, the setting'is made merely by selection of theparticular zonal dimension or scale required.

Another object is to construct a zonal device which is mountable on acommercial indicator merely by slipping the same onto the casing of theindicator.

A further object is to construct a zonal device having a plurality offixed zonal dimensions differing from each other by an increment of oneor two and .at least one of which is selected for use.

Other objects of the invention will be more apparent from the followingdescription when taken in connection with the accompanying drawingillustrating preferred embodiments thereof, in which:

FIG. 1 is a front view of an indicator with a zonal device mountedthereon;

FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken on line 2-2 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged sectional view through means for turnablyretaining the zonal device in set position and is taken on line 3-3ofFIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a partial view of the zonal device having a replaceable zoneplate attached to'the ring with a single zone;

FIG. 5 is a partial view of another zonal device with a zone scale ofsubstantial dimension and means to select or set the desired zonaldimension from the scale;

FIG. 6 is a section through the zonal device as taken on line 66 of FIG.5.'

The dimensional indicator 10 for a screw thread gage has a casing 11with a cylindricalcasing surface 12 on which the zonal device isturnably mounted. A dial 13 has circumferential graduations such asthousandths of an inch and shown as ten-thousandths of an inch, or theirequivalent scale in metric units. A pointer 14 moves over the dial, thepointer being controlled by'the position of the contactor C when gaginga test thread. Usually the indicator has tolerance means such astolerance marker 15 and the 0 on the dial or two markers 15 and 16. Oneof the markers is adjustable so that it can be set to the requiredtolerance, presently set as 0.0038. The

markers could be ink, or the like, marked on the glass over the dial.

The zonal device is a ring means mountable on the indicator casing andincluding a tumable ring. The simplest form of ring means is merely aring 19 having a surface 20 which receives the cylindrical casingsurface and on which the ring is turnable. The ring has a flangeextending radially inwardly from the surface 20 to abut the face of theindicator casing and thereby axially locate the device thereon. Theflange is, preferably, a separate part or plate 21 secured to an endface of the ring. This construction is a simple way to provide the fixedzonal scales on the ring as well as enabling one plate with its zonalscales to be removed and a second plate to be attached to replace thesame with different zonal dimensions. The ring means and the indicatorcasing are free of any obstructions so that the zonal device or ringmeans may be freely inserted on or removed from the casing. This permitsa commercial in dicator to be used without change. Also the ring meansis easily removed if not needed.

The flange of the ring means carries a plurality of circumferentiallydisposed zonal dimensions or scales 22 each having a fixed dimension inthousandths of an inch corresponding with the dial graduations or radialextensions thereof and shown as in ten-thousandths of an inch. Thedifferential zonal scale may be 50 percent of the tolerance and thezonal scale is selected on this basis. If greater accuracy is desired itmay be 40 percent or any other percentage. With a tolerance of 0.0038,the differential zonal dimension at 50 percent would be the 0.0019dimension and the zonal ring is turned so that the edge of this zonescale is aligned with the indicator pointer whereever it may rest withinthe tolerance range for each test part. If the 40 percent tolerancedifferential is to be used, the dimension would be the 0.0015 zonalscale. In some tests, such as for flank angle, a half dimension is usedor 1/2 of 0.0019 which would be the 0.0010 scale. An alternative wouldbe to provide each zonal scale with a mid mark at the center of thezonal scale as illustrated in FIG. 4. It will be noted that two zonalscales provide additional zonal dimensions or scales, for example,0.0010 and 0.0011 together provide 0.0021 dimension while 0.0011 and0.0012 provide 0.0023 dimension or in increments of 0.0002. Toillustrate additional use, the 0.0019 dimension could be the two zonalscales 0.00l0 and 0.0009 in which event the mark separating these twozones provides a mid marker for a flank angle test.

It is desirable that a suitable zonal scale pointer or marker beprovided to indicate the particular zonal scale being used and whichmarker turns with the zonal device or ring. That shown is a resilientwire loop 23 which is turnably received in a circumferential retaininggroove 24 on the ring and having a bent up end to provide a marker forthe zonal scale being used. The marker may be turned to any other zonalscale which is to be used for another test having a different toleranceor a different tolerance percentage.

Suitable means are provided to turnably retain the zonal device or ringin set position on the indicator casing. The means shown is a ball 26which is received in a radial hole 27 in the ring and pressed againstthe casing surface 20 by a spring 28, the compression of which may beadjusted by a back-up screw 29. The ball type of retaining means isadvantageous with a casing surface which is knurled, which it may be.

FIG. 4 shows a form of zonal device in which the ring 19 has areplaceable plate 32 with a single zonal scale marked or carried thereonand secured to the ring such as by screws 33. In this form, a pluralityof individual plates are provided for attachment to the ring, each platehaving a different zonal scale or dimension, one of which is selected.With a zonal plate of relatively short circumferential engagement, analigning plate 34 is also attached to the end face of the ring in orderto provide ample axial positioning support for the ring on the indicatorcasing.

FIG. 5 illustrates another form of zonal device in which a full zonalscale 36 is carried by the flange 37 of the ring 38.

This zonal scale provides all or a substantial part of the zonal scalerange. A mask 39 is adjustably carried by ring, such as by a screw 40which is received in a slot 41 in the mask which slot is long enough tomove the zone marking edge 42 of the mask over the entire zonal scale.The mask is retained in place on the side face of the ring by convenientmeans such as the screw 40 and a flange .43 which engages an oppositeface of the ring. The zonal scale or dimension to be used is set fromthe scale and fixed in set position by tightening the screw 40. in thisform the zonal scale to be used is adjustably selected whereas in theother forms illustrated herein, one zonal scale is selected from aplurality of fixed zonal zonal scales. If it should be deemed desirablethat the scale graduations 36 be not visible in the zone area, the scalecould begin at the edge 45 of the mask when the edge 42 is at the markand the edge 45 is used to measure or fix the zonal dimension to beused.

In the forms of zonal devices shown in FIGS. 1 and 4, each zone is of adifferent dimension and usually will provide an incremental differenceof one unit. For differential gaging of a screw thread, the incrementwould be one ten thousandths of an inch using the indicator dialgraduations as the reference unit and dimension.

The indicator and zonal device combination on one gaging unit may beconnected with that on an adjacent gaging unit by a connecting means orrod 46.

This invention is presented to fill a need for improvements in a zonaldevice and in a combination of an indicator and the zonal device.Various modifications may and often do occur to those skilled in theart, especially after benefiting from the teachings of an invention.This disclosure illustrates the preferred means of embodying theinvention in useful form.

What is claimed is:

l. A zonal device for mounting on a dimensional dial indicator having acasing with a cylindrical surface, a dial with dimensional graduationsin thousandths or ten-thousandths of an inch, and a pointer comprisingring means having a surface of a dimension to receive the casing surfaceand including a ring mounted to be circumferentiallyturned, the ringhaving flange means extending radially inwardly to locate the ringaxially on the casing and having an inner edge, the ring means beingconstructed so that it is axially mountable and retained on the casingwith solely the cylindrical surface and the face thereof as thecooperating mounting parts thereon, means to movably retain the ring inset circumferential position, zonal 2. A zonal device as in claim 1 inwhich the zonal means includes a plurality of fixed zonal dimensions,and each zonal dimension being different from that of all of the otherzonal dimensions and providing a series of zonal dimensions differingprogressively by the same dimensional increment.

3. A zonal device as in claim 2 in which a plurality of the fixed zonaldimensions are carried circumferentially in succession around the flangemeans.

4. A zonal device as in claim 3 including means carried by the ring toindicate the zonal dimension in use and mounted for circumferentialadjustment thereon.

5. A zonal device as in claim 2 in which the zonal means includes aplurality of separate elements each with a single zonal dimension, andmeans to secure a selected one of the zonal dimension elements to thering.

6. A zonal device as in claim 1 including zonal dimensional graduationscarried by the flange means and being the radial equivalent of thegraduations on the dial of the indicator, zonal setting means carried bythe ring and adjustable circumferentially thereon to select the zonaldimension desired, and

means to secure the setting means in adjusted position.

7. A combination comprising a dial mdicator and the zonal device as inclaim 1 with the indicator including in addition a contactor, a pointermovable over the dial and connected with the contactor so as to beresponsive to the position of the contactor, and tolerance limit meansadjacent to the dial including at least one adjustable tolerance marker.

8. A combination as in claim 7 in which the zonal means includesaplurality of fixed zonal dimensions, and each zonal means carried by theflange means and providing a plurality of different zonal dimensions oneof which is selected for use, each zonal dimension being a radialequivalent of the dial graduations in thousandths or ten-thousandths ofan inch or a metric equivalent, and the zonal means being located at theinner edge of the flange means so as to be adjacent to the dimensionalgraduations on the dial when mounted on the indicator casing.

dimension being different from that of all of the other zonal dimensionsand providing a series of zonal dimensions differing progressively bythe same dimensional increment.

9. A combination as in claim 8 in which a plurality of the fixed zonaldimensions are carried circumferentially in succession around the flangemeans.

10. A combination as in claim 9 including means carried by the ring toindicate the zonal dimension in use and mounted for circumferentialadjustment thereon.

11. A combination as in claim 8 in which the zonal means includes aplurality of separate elements each with a single zonal dimension, andmeans to secure a selected one of the zonal dimensional elements to thering.

12. A combination as in claim 8 in which the zonal means includes aplurality of separate elements each with a single zonal dimension, andmeans to secure a selected one of the zonal dimensional elements to thering.

13. A combination as in claim 7 including zonal dimensional graduationscarried by the flange means and being the radial equivalent of thegraduations on the dial of the indicator, zonal setting means carried bythe ring and adjustable circumferentially thereon to select the zonaldimension desired, and means to secure the setting means in adjustedposition.

1. A zonal device for mounting on a dimensional dial indicator having acasing with a cylindrical surface, a dial with dimensional graduatioNsin thousandths or ten-thousandths of an inch, and a pointer comprisingring means having a surface of a dimension to receive the casing surfaceand including a ring mounted to be circumferentially turned, the ringhaving flange means extending radially inwardly to locate the ringaxially on the casing and having an inner edge, the ring means beingconstructed so that it is axially mountable and retained on the casingwith solely the cylindrical surface and the face thereof as thecooperating mounting parts thereon, means to movably retain the ring inset circumferential position, zonal means carried by the flange meansand providing a plurality of different zonal dimensions one of which isselected for use, each zonal dimension being a radial equivalent of thedial graduations in thousandths or ten-thousandths of an inch or ametric equivalent, and the zonal means being located at the inner edgeof the flange means so as to be adjacent to the dimensional graduationson the dial when mounted on the indicator casing.
 2. A zonal device asin claim 1 in which the zonal means includes a plurality of fixed zonaldimensions, and each zonal dimension being different from that of all ofthe other zonal dimensions and providing a series of zonal dimensionsdiffering progressively by the same dimensional increment.
 3. A zonaldevice as in claim 2 in which a plurality of the fixed zonal dimensionsare carried circumferentially in succession around the flange means. 4.A zonal device as in claim 3 including means carried by the ring toindicate the zonal dimension in use and mounted for circumferentialadjustment thereon.
 5. A zonal device as in claim 2 in which the zonalmeans includes a plurality of separate elements each with a single zonaldimension, and means to secure a selected one of the zonal dimensionelements to the ring.
 6. A zonal device as in claim 1 including zonaldimensional graduations carried by the flange means and being the radialequivalent of the graduations on the dial of the indicator, zonalsetting means carried by the ring and adjustable circumferentiallythereon to select the zonal dimension desired, and means to secure thesetting means in adjusted position.
 7. A combination comprising a dialindicator and the zonal device as in claim 1 with the indicatorincluding in addition a contactor, a pointer movable over the dial andconnected with the contactor so as to be responsive to the position ofthe contactor, and tolerance limit means adjacent to the dial includingat least one adjustable tolerance marker.
 8. A combination as in claim 7in which the zonal means includes a plurality of fixed zonal dimensions,and each zonal dimension being different from that of all of the otherzonal dimensions and providing a series of zonal dimensions differingprogressively by the same dimensional increment.
 9. A combination as inclaim 8 in which a plurality of the fixed zonal dimensions are carriedcircumferentially in succession around the flange means.
 10. Acombination as in claim 9 including means carried by the ring toindicate the zonal dimension in use and mounted for circumferentialadjustment thereon.
 11. A combination as in claim 8 in which the zonalmeans includes a plurality of separate elements each with a single zonaldimension, and means to secure a selected one of the zonal dimensionalelements to the ring.
 12. A combination as in claim 8 in which the zonalmeans includes a plurality of separate elements each with a single zonaldimension, and means to secure a selected one of the zonal dimensionalelements to the ring.
 13. A combination as in claim 7 including zonaldimensional graduations carried by the flange means and being the radialequivalent of the graduations on the dial of the indicator, zonalsetting means carried by the ring and adjustable circumferentiallythereon to select the zonal dimension desired, and means to secure thesetting means in adjusted position.